


A Bug on an Arachnid

by QueerAndFeared



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, I'LL COME BACK TO ADD MORE, Peter Parker - Freeform, Regret, TOO MANY FUCKING TAGS, Tony Stark Has A Heart, although he doesnt know why, angsty peter parker, avengers do the good, because to him he's just peter, but to them he's everything good, everybody is kind to peter parker, flash might change, for good reason, he's a dumbass sorry, might lose a limb here, ned is the best guy anybody could ask for, slight trauma, too many - Freeform, wink - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23442982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueerAndFeared/pseuds/QueerAndFeared
Summary: Peter Parker didn't really think that the Avengers would bug (ha) him.He didn't think they'd just watch him as Peter Parker and not Spiderman.He didn't think they'd risk everything to save him....He wasn't very good at thinking.
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Avengers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Spiderman & Avengers, Spiderman & Ironman
Comments: 43
Kudos: 468





	1. Spotting a Bug (Arachnid!)

**Author's Note:**

> was thinking of making this as a really long oneshot but decided against it. not sure how many chapters it'll end up. 
> 
> we'll see :)
> 
> also might change title idk yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers watch the news, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi

"So, what's the deal with the spider?"

Tony sighed, dragging a calloused hand down his face, leaning back into his chair. "Everything. _Fucking_ everything." Steve narrowed his eyes at him who shrugged in return, the hint of a smirk appearing.

"Fury wants it brought in," Natasha answered the soldier, who nodded, already knowing this. "Noone knows who it is. Noone knows what it wants. Fury wants that handled."

"I feel like calling Spiderman 'It' is a bit superficial." Clint drawled as Steve narrowed his eyes at him for putting his feet on the table. "I mean, they gotta be human, right?"

"Could be a biped spider creature." Bruce supplied helpfully.

"I don't want to think about that." Tony shuddered dramatically.

"I bet Spiderman is actually a woman."

"You and what tits?"

"Guys," Tony had to resist the urge to laugh. "Fury wants us to bring him in. Yes or no?"

"We can't just say no to the director-"

"They're gonna do something bad to him." Wanda spoke up quietly, eyes glowing faintly red. Clint had forgotten she was there. "We can't just willingly turn in a good guy."

"But what if he's not good?" Natasha inquired, despite thinking he is.

"Then we'll find out, say our sorry's, and invite him onto the team!" Tony declared, as if that idea was the easiest thing to do.

"I'm not sure if we should actually do this." Bruce muttered, looking down at his lap. "The other guy likes him. The whole city loves him. How will this affect our public image if we're seen fighting Spiderman to bring him in?"

"Who says we have to fight?" Clint offered helplessly. "Maybe he'll turn himself in."

"You know that won't happen." Sam argued, speaking up. "Have you seen the guy? He won't even take off his mask. He won't accept money. He won't even accept our help."

"Which he really should." Tony scoffed, gaze flickering to the windows. He pulled down the sunglasses from the top of his head onto the bridge of his nose. "Guy's running around in a bright red and blue onsie with holes."

"Speaking of bright red and blue onsies," FRIDAY suddenly announced, startling everyone but The Winter Soldier, who was too lost in his thoughts. "Spiderman has been spotted swinging in Central Park, fighting something my sensors can't quite decipher yet. The vigilante seems to be handling it quite well at the moment."

"Can you bring up the news footage, please?" Bruce asked.

"Certainly, Doctor Banner."

The TV in the corner flashed to life, showing a young woman in a dark green suit. Clint briefly questioned her fashion choices as she spoke rapidly, her hair tousled from the light wind.

"-here in Central Park today near the Alexander Hamilton monument where it looks to be Spiderman gracing us with his presence once again." The lady gave the camera a fake grin, chin up. "We're not exactly sure what he seems to be fighting, but there's a lot of them. And I mean a _lot_. If you look to East Pinetum, here-" She suddenly screamed as something flew by her, a line of red appearing and bubbling down her cheek. She ducked as did the cameraman as a flash of red and blue sped past, the faint yell of a ' _sorry!'_ being heard.

"Did Spiderman just cut an innocent?" Steve asked, fists clenched as he stared hard at the TV.

"No, you star-spangled dumbass-" Tony huffed, eyes glued to the screen himself. "Something nicked her before he showed up. The question is, why is he so far away from his usual area?"

"Might've started in Queens, chased them over." Sam shrugged. "Not uncommon of him. He's not one to just leave his work to someone else."

"Sh!" Tony clamped a hand over Wilson's mouth, who rolled his eyes at his antics. "Look!"

"He came back?" Bruce wondered to himself.

"-so sorry lady," Spiderman was saying, thanks to the helpful subtitles at the bottom of the screen. "I didn't see you there, here, um," He was knelt down next to her as he flipped the backpack he was wearing around to his chest and started rummaging through. Not a moment later, he pulled out a Hello Kitty Band-Aid pack along with an almost empty tube of disinfectant cream.

"I like his taste." Clint laughed loudly, earning a glare from Steve for the interruption and an amused look from Natasha.

"Here, um, you can have this." Spiderman awkwardly fumbled with the tube as he set it by her along with a Band-Aid. She was too busy staring in shock to take it from his hands. "I'm so sorry, ma'am, I thought I got everyone out." He looked over to the camera and waved, and Bucky snorted as the cameraman could be seen waving back.

Spiderman quickly stuffed the bandages back into the ratty backpack and flipped it back around, securing it tight to his chest with straps. As he got up to leave, the woman grabbed his wrist, startling him.

"Look how tense he got." Natasha observed, watching Spiderman's hands clench briefly before relaxing. "Why did he panic?"

"Not all of New York loves him." Tony muttered, watching closely for any malice from the woman.

The woman fumbled for the right words before mumbling a soft 'thank you', abruptly pulling herself away. Spiderman seemed to brighten immeasurably at the response.

"Look how happy he got." Clint said, cocking his head. "I don't see how anyone could see him as something other than a puppy."

"Reminds me of a young Steve." Bucky muttered off into the corner, which resulted in some snorts and a withering glare from said man.

"It's no problem, ma'am." Spiderman nodded at her and the cameraman. As he webbed away, he yelled back, voice high with adrenaline. "Take care of that, please and thank you! Infections suck! Be safe!" The camera followed him as he went away. As Spiderman joined back into the fight, a larger mass slammed into him from the side, knocking him from the camera's view. Someone shrieked _'Oh my god!'_ from behind before the footage cut out.

The TV then switched back to the actual news room, where it showed another woman with a pale face sitting behind a large desk. "Well, then. Um." Her shocked expression wasn't helping things at all, and they could all see a man in the background making a 'cut' motion. The screen went to commercial break. FRIDAY turned it off before Tony could ask.

It was a tense couple seconds before Sam spoke to break it.

"You...you think he's gonna be alright?" His arms crossed, looking worried.

"He's faced bigger fish and came back okay, he'll be fine." Tony waved him off. He suddenly perked. "What about a tracker?"

"That backpack was bought from a store close to a high school." Natasha interrupted, eyes on her phone. "Midtown High. Spiderman might be a minor."

"You can't _possibly_ know that." Steve demanded, tone condescending. _"Yes,_ his voice is that of a ten year old, but that could be a voice modifier. _Yes_ , his body is like, extremely small, but that could just be poor genes. _Yes_ , his-"

"Okay _enough_ of that, Cap." Tony sighed quietly, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Just. A tracker would be nice. Right?"

"How are you gonna get close to Spiderman?" Clint scoffed. "Noone has even been able to talk to him, he just zips right away."

"I heard him mention a sense of...something." Bruce added, brows furrowed in concentration. "Even if we somehow put a tracker on him, there's a big chance he'll just find it."

"What, so kid's got a sixth sense?" Tony shrugged. "I'll handle it."

"What the _hell_ is that suppose to mean?" Sam exclaimed, bewildered.

A loud alert suddenly blared through the room, everyone simultaneously wincing. Clint turned off his hearing aids as Tony muttered 'Goddamn its the fucking pirate calling'.

"Stark." Fury's voice filled the room despite noone having moved to answer the call. His face appeared on the wall as a hologram. "I'm assuming your AI alerted you?"

"Of course. FRIDAY isn't good for nothing. I built her." Tony crossed his arms as he stared at the hologram, swallowing thickly.

Fury only narrowed his eyes in response. "Then you know what to do." The call ended before anyone else could respond.

"He's even more dramatic than me!" Tony exclaimed, getting up and stretching until he could feel his kneecaps pop, groaning. "God, I'm like a glowstick."

"Is he on something?" Sam whispered to Clint, who only shrugged in response. He hadn't turned back on his hearing aids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not sure how many chapter's I'll make this!!
> 
> bls leave kudos or a comment or something to say you like it or not :)


	2. Bugging the Bug (Arachnid!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers look for a certain vigilante.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not super long. whoops.

"Frosty." Iron man spoke into his communication circuit, hearing suppressed snickers surge through. "Any eyes?"

"Yes, I have two of them." Captain America scoffed, gazing around the streets, the orange glow from the lampposts bright yet muddled against his blue suit.

"We don't have time for games, Cap." Black Widow spoke through, crouched on top of a building with Hawkeye, playing iSpy with the archer. "The Director wants him brought in quickly."

The team - IronMan, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, and the Black Panther - heard a soft sign from the man. "No. It seems crime has been slow tonight, too."

"God, you sound like Batman." Iron man muttered, flying past buildings in his suit, the sound of his thrusters being suppressed for stealth. "Anybody else? Nobody? Come on, guys, Fury will have my ass on this, and I don't know about you, but my ass is quite-"

"I've spotted the Spider." Black Panther spoke softly, his keen eyes picking out the red and blue vigilante easily against the foggy night sky. "East of 182nd Avenue, moving North. Fast." Black Panther started sprinting across the rooftops, landing easily on each ledge as he kept up with the target.

"Be as silent as you can." Iron man hissed, heading in that direction slowly, planning ahead on where the vigilante might end up. "Try talking with him if you can't. Distract him until Widow appears with the sedative." Oh, right. They had agreed on knocking him out and bringing him in.

"You underestimate my abilities, Stark." Was all he replied with, watching as Spiderman started climbing a tall abandoned building with ease.

"Don't get cocky," Hawkeye warned, out of breath, currently in a race with Natasha as they compete to who gets there first.

"Nonsense." The king prided himself on that. He wasn't the leader of an advanced nation for nothing.

Only a moment passed before T'Challa peaked over the edge of the building, coming face-to-face with the masked vigilante directly. He was so surprised that he almost lost his grip and would have fallen if not for the tight hold around his wrist as he was pulled effortlessly over the ledge and onto the rooftop.

"Are you okay, Mr. Panther sir?" Spiderman didn't seem to question why he was there in the first place and not in Wakanda, and while the eyes of his mask didn't   
move, the King could tell he was being examined. 

"Answer him!" Iron man hissed into the comes when Black Panther didn't respond quick enough, too busy feeling shocked. He noted by the tensing of the vigilante's legs that he heard the billionaire somehow.

He recovered quickly, as he was trained to do. "I'm quite fine, thank you for the concern." He tried relaxing his body into what he hoped was a natural, relaxed pose. He noted the blood on the other man's suit. "Are you alright, Mr...?"

"Spiderman." The reply was short and clipped, providing no way for T'Challa to ask him again directly as he looked down at his own suit, the blood spreading slowly across the blue fabric from an open gunshot wound. "I'm, um, fine. Thanks-Thank you, Mr. Panther."

"Please." His own tone sounded desperate for a moment, borderline annoyed. "Call me T'Challa."

"Okay, Mr. T'Challa."

He heard various sounds of laughter from the comms, and knew Ironman was watching and recording everything. He then saw the Black Widow, climbing gracefully over the opposite ledge, silent in her approach.

"You're needed at the Avengers tower, Spiderman." Black Panther started, keeping his tone neutral as he watched the woman creep closer. "A certain council wants to speak to you."

"Oh?" His tone was inquisitive, showing no signs of suspecting anyone but them was here. "What could they need me for?"

"I can't quite say. Questioning, I believe." She was close.

"Sounds like an interrogation. I'll pass, thanks." His tone turned cold as the Widow brandished the syringe, preparing to plunge it deep into the vigilante's neck.

Before he could blink, or even notice something was wrong, Spiderman planted his left foot and swung easily with his right, his heel connecting perfectly with the delicate glass. It shattered instantly, the clear fluid spreading across the cement.

The Black Widow was quick to react, surging forward and knocking the other spider down, landing hard against the rooftop. They struggled briefly before Spiderman grabbed her wrists and _squeezed_ , causing her to hiss and attempt to elbow him. He threw her ten feet to the side in response, huffing.

Heavy feet landed beside him and Iron man was there, stepping forward, repulser aimed at the vigilante's head. He looked back and saw Hawkeye helping the Black Widow up. 

"Stand down, Spiderman." The robotic tone made Sam feel uneasy as he landed next to T'Challa.

Spiderman spluttered, quickly standing up and waving an arm angrily. " _She_ attacked me first! And you're asking _me_ to stop?"

"Yes." The bright blue of the repulser grew brighter.

Spiderman seemed to just stay there for a moment in shock, and Hawkeye took that for his advantage as he silently drew his bow, knocking a sedative-tipped arrow onto the string and lining up his shot. He didn't hesitate to let it fly, aiming for Spiderman's back.

Black Panther watched as Spiderman yet again plant his left foot, right foot turning as he twisted his torso, catching the arrow inches away from his open wound. It would have gone clean through, thanks to the bullet making room.

Even Ironman stood in shock for a moment, stance faltering. "How...?"

Spiderman wasted no time in snapping the arrow with one hand.

"Hey!" Clint cried out angrily, although confused as to how he broke it so easily.

Spiderman only shrugged in his direction. "You shoot me, it's mine." He turned back towards Ironman. "Now, are you gonna tell me why you guys are suddenly trying to kidnap me?"

"I don't particularly want to." The Falcon muttered, and he was briefly cut off guard from the vigilante snorting, thinking he hadn't heard the near-whisper.

"Guess I'll take my leave, then." Spiderman nodded at Black Panther respectively before turning and leaping off the roof. A moment later, they heard the soft sound of _thwip thwip_ as Spiderman swung away easily despite the healing wound. A tense minute passed before Clint spoke up.

"What the fuck was that?" He gathered his broken arrow pieces, staring at the steel limb.

"We're gonna have to do that again, aren't we?" Black Panther sighed.

"Nope." Tony Stark stepped out of his suit, phone already in hand as he showed the screen to the others, revealing a blur of buildings as something - _someone_ \- flew by them. "I bugged him."


	3. The Bug in his Habitat (Arachnid!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers get their first look into Spiderman's life.

  
"FRIDAY, connect tracker to Living Room TV." 

"Got it, Boss."

"I'm still not used to that," Steve muttered, playing idly with the bowl of popcorn in his lap. "and why are we gathered like this? Shouldn't this be a secret thing?"

"Nonsense," Tony was fiddling with the technology in his lap. "You know you're curious about the Spider's identity. We all are."

"Seems like an invasion of privacy to me." Bruce offered. "Man's got rights."

"Yeah, well, when those 'rights' start conflicting with our business..." Natasha trailed off, waving her hand aimlessly before stealing popcorn from Steve.

"Starting." FRIDAY echoed throughout the room, shutting everybody up successfully. 

"Turn off the lights!" Clint dramatically threw a pillow at the light switch, missing by a wide range. FRIDAY silently turned off the lights. 

"Shut up!" Tony hissed, eyes on the screen. Hopefully, he thought to himself, the guy wouldn't notice the tracker. They had almost broken the windows to the Tower when he had given the good news trying to all get in at once.

The screen glitched before showing the blur of passing buildings. "He's still swinging?" Sam murmured in question.

"He wasn't too far from his area, was he?" T'Challa thought aloud.

"Shut up and watch." 

Mutters of _'Are you fucking kidding me'_ and _'Fuck me, Avengers? Trying to sedate me? What did I do this time?'_ filtered through the screen, causing Bucky to snort, glancing over at Steve, who payed no attention to the soldier.

"He was so polite when encountering King T'Challa." Steve narrowed his eyes slightly. "I didn't expect him to be one to curse so freely. Was it to fool us? Was-"

"God, Steve, I love you, but _please_ shut the fuck up."

_"Shit,"_ Came loudly through the screen, cutting off Steve's retort. _"Please don't be home. Please don't be home."_ The camera edged around a brick wall into an apartment driveway before sighing softly in relief.

"Guy still lives with his parents?" Clint laughs, imagining Spiderman living in someone's basement like a creep.

Gloves reached for a window and pulled it open before Spiderman slipped inside, crawling onto the ceiling, surveying the room once more before dropping to the ground silently.

"Room's a fuckin' mess." Sam scoffed.

"You're a mess." Someone retorted.

"Boys." Natasha ended.

_"Karen,"_ Spiderman pulled off his mask, the lenses staring directly at the camera, making everyone uncomfortable. The tracker was on his right shoulder, angled slightly downwards. The team leaned forward to carefully examine the screen (except for Steve and Bucky, who had perfect eyesight and could see just fine, the bastards), but there were no mirrors. " _Do I have anything due tomorrow?"_

**"No."** A slightly Russian accent gave back, mechanical, surprising everyone in the room. There was no sight of anybody else in the room before - so who was talking? **"But you have a book report on Socioeconomic Fields due in four days. I suggest you get started on that, Boss."**

A hand waved carelessly on the screen, an ' _eh'_ permitting through. The mask was thrown onto a wooden desk cluttered with metal scraps, scribbled-on papers, and granola wrappers.

"Book report?" Bruce commented, "Guy must be at least in college."

"Are we not going to mention Karen?" Tony had his hands propping up his chin, staring intently at the screen. "And the fact that we didn't see her in the room?"

"Could be a phone call." Sam offered, although knew it most likely wasn't true.

**"Boss, you have multiple wounds. I suggest you treat them before doing anything else."** The camera's view dropped before it shows him walking into a relatively-clean bathroom. The mirrow was missing above the sink.

_"Full scan?"_ The vigilante asked nowhere.

**"** **Four gunshot wounds. One bullet lodged above left collarbone. No other signs of inorganic material. Supplies are under the sink."**

_"I know, I know."_

"Are we seriously going to watch Spiderman pry a bullet from his shoulder?" Sam asked, looking around the room, flabbergasted.

"Could be useful information?" Clint offered helplessly.

"He fought me without showing anything holding him back." Natasha muttered, seeming lost.

"How could I have only seen one wound?" T'Challa stared at the ceiling.

"This is so fucking metal." Bucky face-planted into Steve's shoulder.

A soft thump was heard as Spiderman locked the bathroom door and practically fell into the bathtub, an array of items with him. Tweezers, pliers, bandages, antiseptic solution, a blue towel, and a belt with too many teeth marks.

"Oh, my god." Bruce breathed.

The view looked down, showing Spiderman's trembling hands. _"Okay"_ He breathed. " _Um, okay. Shit. The-The skin healed over. Where-?"_

**"Left cabinet, hidden drawer."**

_"Thank you."_ He rummaged around briefly before pulling out a small knife.

"Oh, my _god._ " It was Bruce again.

**"This isn't like the first time, Peter. You're not alone. You're okay."** The Russian lady said.

"Already on it." Tony had FRIDAY scanning little bits of detail about this new look into Spiderman's life in the background. First name _Peter_ was added to the slowly growing list.

"Peter." Natasha looked down at her folded hands, carefully testing his name. It made him more human then they realized.

"What happened the first time?" Steve looked worried and a bit sick.

" _I know."_ Spiderman- _Peter_ sighed again, holding the knife in his right hand. He carefully reached over and-

"I can't. I- FRIDAY, turn it off." Tony stood up, hands in his hair. His team respected the decision. "Please...record this. All of this. When...when Spiderman is done, continue." 

"Yes, Boss."

"At least one of us is gonna have to watch that later." Bruce said sadly, looking around the too-quiet room.

"Not now." Natasha's tone was final.

"There's too many Peter's in New York." Tony tried changing the subject, fake-scoffing at the screen in his hands. "There's over a thousand possible matches, even when running it with Spiderman's height, weight, everything."

"He is white." T'Challa offered helpfully.

"Peter IS quite a popular name." Clint mused.

"Continuing." FRIDAY interrupted.

**"-did it, Boss. You can breathe. Breathe, Peter."** Karen could be heard saying, slightly muffled.

Spiderman was hyperventilating, hunched over, arms blocking most of the tracker's view. A pair of bloodied tweezers and an equally bloodied bullet could be seen just out of view.

**"Peter, please."** The disembodied voice sounded almost desperate despite her voice being so cold. **"Put on the mask. It-"**

Her next words were overshadowed by Spiderman scrambling out from the tub, fumbling with the bathroom door lock before throwing it open. A loud _crack_ could be heard, dismissed by the vigilante as he clutched at his mask, pulling it on. A new sound is heard.

"Is she...in his mask?" Bruce exclaimed.

"She's playing a video in the mask." Bucky mused, recognizing it. "Breathing techniques." Steve gazed worriedly over at him, which Bucky elected to ignore, staring purposely ahead at the screen.

"It has to be an AI." Tony muttered, rubbing at his face. "No other explanation. No one has a fucking AI but me...how could he have...?"

"Could he have stolen something from you?" Steve asked, still looking at Bucky. "Some sort of blueprint for an AI?"

"That's my secret, Cap." Tony laughed. "I don't write anything down. Especially anything about JARVIS or FRIDAY."

"Kid's smart." Sam gestured.

"How do you know he is a kid?"

"Look, we agreed on AT LEAST college-"

"Did you see his fucking bedsheets? Literally Thor's face is on them."

"-those pink kitty bandages-"

"It's Hello Kitty, you uncultured swine-"

"Guys." Natasha interrupted, eyes on the screen. "Look."

The tracker was no longer blocked by his arms. In fact, the team got a full view of his room once again.

"Is he on the fucking ceiling again?"

"Wilson, if you don't shut up right now-"

A long-released breath interrupted something before it began and then Spiderman dropped to the floor, a bit heavier than before, a bit more unsteady. A door slammed in the distance with the call of a _'Peter?'._

_"Fuck!"_ The vigilante hissed quietly before clearing his throat, calling out a reasonable-sounding _'coming!',_ rushing towards the bathroom once again. He then abruptly stopped, the camera showing the mahogany bathroom door, hanging off its hinges. _"Fuck!"_

"Can't get a break." T'Challa laughed softly, briefly thinking of his sister.

_"Peter?"_ The other voice called again, closer. 

_"I'm changing, give me a second!"_ Spiderman called back, clearly panicking. He dismissed the door in favor of changing out of his bloody suit.

"Cover your virgin eyes, Cap." Tony laughed, finding Steve's pained expression hilarious.

"It's alright," Bucky nudged Steve. "The tracker is on the suit. See? The screen's dark now, he took it off."

Indeed, the screen was black, with bits of light seeping through visible fabric. At the very least, they have sound.

Muffled voices, barely picked up, could be heard in the next room. "Must've thrown it in the bathroom." Natasha mused.

"Do his parents not know about his activities?" Steve's fists clenched briefly. "That's irresponsible. That's dangerous. That's-"

"Save the pep talk for the man himself, buddy."

A voice suddenly spoke, so clear and so loud that it spooked them all. **"Hello."** The mechanical Russian AI spoke. **"I know you're listening."**

"What the fuck? Is she talking to us? Can she hear us?" Sam is panicking.

**"Yes."** The voice replied. " **I hacked into the tower so I can hear you through your AI. She can't speak as long as I speak. Now, listen closely. I won't repeat myself."**

"Why should we listen to some backstream AI?" T'Challa was cautious, as per usual. Stark could be heard trying to talk to FRIDAY.

Karen pretended not to have heard him. **"I know you've been watching. I was there when you encountered my Boss. I know what you plan on doing with him if you ever catch him."**

"Are you Hydra?" Steve countered.

A pause. " **No."**

Steve scoffed. "I don't believe that."

" **Why did you ask if you do not want to believe?"** The AI snarked.

Sam snorted at that, patting Steve's shoulder, attempting to lighten the situation. "She's got you there, buddy."

**"My boss created me."** Karen continued. **"He was eleven at the time. I will not tell you how old he is now. I will not tell you how he did it. I will not tell you anything I deem unnecessary. I will only tell you what I believe you should know."**

"Why?" Natasha inquired, staring intently at the screen, in interrogation mode.

**"Perhaps,"** The AI started strong, but her tone changed to a sort of childish embarrassment as she continued. " **you will find that Peter is not someone you should attempt to capture. That Spiderman is kind, and would willingly do no evil on his own accord, if he can help it. Perhaps I am making a mistake in doing this at all behind my creator's back. But I have done the calculations, and I know that you are good people, and good people don't torture someone for no good reason."**

"It wasn't going to be torture-" Stark tried to argue.

**"And my calculations are never wrong."** Karen cut him off loudly, surprising everyone. " **I am only allowing you to stay in the event that you find enough proof that my boy is kind, and he would never intentionally bring harm to anyone."** The screen flashed briefly, prompting danger. **"** **I, however, am not so kind, and will do anything to protect my Peter."**

It was a tense, silent couple of seconds before Karen spoke again. **"Boss is coming back. I am in full control of this camera, and will only interfere should you go after him again or if something retaining his identity is compromised."** The screen flashed again. **"Do not try to find him. You will not succeed."**

_"Karen?"_ Peter's voice filtered through once again. _"Are you okay? You didn't respond to me out there."_ Hands picked at the suit and lifted, and the camera showed bare feet on a white, blood splattered tiled floor. _"Karen?"_

**"I'm okay."** The Russian AI soothed, no longer as loud and as close. " **I apologize. I was preoccupied with checking on the update you gave me two days ago."**

_"Oh!"_ His voice was cheerful suddenly, sounding like a child. _"How is it working for you? Do you need anything?"_ The camera moved with his feet as tile changed to soft carpet.

**"I am fine, Boss."**

_"If you say so."_ The suit was set onto a wooden desk, the camera showing Spiderman's clothed torso. Right over his left collarbone, the black shirt bulged out due to a thick bandage. His head ducked briefly, and the screen blacked out.

"What happened?" Tony asked FRIDAY.

" **KAREN** blocked the signal briefly." FRIDAY responded. "She is right; she is in full control of the device. She is intent on protecting Spiderman's identity. I also can't find any GPS signal relating to the tracker."

"Damn," Steve muttered, rubbing at his eyes.

The screen turned on again, showing red thread and a pair of nimble, shaking hands. _"-kay, sweetheart_." The vigilante's voice came through perfectly. _"Can you bring up those YouTube videos I saved? The ones about sewing?"_

**"Yes, Boss."** The sound of a digital woman talking fast was heard off-screen.

" _And, um...play playlist number...37, please."_

" **Certainly."**

(Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult played softly through the speakers.

"He has good taste." Tony smiled slightly, almost finding it absurd.

"I don't think he'll get started on that book report anytime soon." Bruce mused, a soft expression on his face.

"So...are we gonna ignore the fact that another AI hacked into your tower, Stark?"

"...motherfucker."


	4. More Clues on the Bug (Arachnid!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers learn an important detail on Peter's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trying more into the first-person POV now. lemme know if you like it in this type of story

Two weeks had passed since they first started spying on the Spider. 

Stark had passed it all off as 'Learning his habits and ticks to have a better chance of bringing him in' and 'Why pass the opportunity to learn about a potential threat?', but I know he's just curious. That's all he ever is about life; curious, wanting to take apart and understand everything that reaches his gaze. The Spider was no exception.

So, now, instead of movie night every Friday, they had Watching-Spiderman-Live night, every night. Nobody complained, however. We were all just as curious.

In those two weeks, we mainly caught Peter nearing the end of his patrol and on his way home. Only once did we see him fight- a mugger that was cornering a young woman. Spiderman had quipped something the camera couldn't quite catch, but it had pissed the guy off so much that he threw the girl to the side and lunged for the vigilante himself, despite having a gun. Spiderman made quick work webbing him up and gently putting him on the ground despite the furious thrashing and cursing from the man. He even checked to see if the girl was okay, who was still on the ground in shock, bleeding from her face and left elbow. He even walked her home, despite how far it was from his usual route. He declined the money offered and quickly webbed away.

"Good lad." Stark had commented.

Other than that, we found him mostly at home on school nights, either working on his web fluid (which Stark and Bruce were having aneurysms trying to figure out), working on his suit, or upgrading Karen. Rarely did we see him do actual school work, which absolutely sucked, considering it would have helped us figure out what type of school he was attending. But there _were_ moments where we saw (or, rather, _heard_ ) Peter and not Spiderman. Talking with Karen about life, going on random Wikipedia splurges when he suddenly wants to know about a specific thing and wants to learn it as fast as possible (is he secretly Stark's kid? I would not doubt it), when he danced in his room to loud music while wearing his mask (we weren't quite sure why he wore the mask since he was also wearing normal clothes - does the mask help in some way we cannot see?), when he sung so loudly out his window while reenacting some musical that he got yelled at from someone on the street, when birds landed on his windowsill and he tried feeding them, resulting in him getting attacked and covered in feathers.

Peter, himself, was quite an interesting person.

Clint has also started a list;

 **-Name is Peter**  
**-Friend comes over a lot (screen blacks out though :[ ) Name is Ned _(I think it's Ted-STARK)_**  
**-They both love legos and will go on about them for hours (that was an interesting session)**  
**-One adult (female?) living with him (so far that we've encountered)**  
**-Pale skin _(broken white boy!!)_ (Shuri visited)**  
**-Estimated age [18-29]**  
**-Listens to a wide range of music**  
**-Nerd _(cli nt that i s ru de_** **_)_ (SUCC IT ROGERS)**

And that was it.

"How long are we gonna be doing this, Tony?" Steve asked as I stole more popcorn from his bowl. 

"As long as it takes, Captain." The blond scowled at the title.

"Takes for what?" Bruce asked next, eyes flickering around the room. "Find out his identity? What then?"

"We bring him in!" Stark replied cheerfully, but the wide grin didn't reach his eyes. The others didn't notice. 

"What if the Spider is innocent?" T'Challa interjected. "What if his AI is correct?"

Stark didn't respond, instead making a vague hand motion before instructing FRIDAY to turn on the TV. Everybody went silent as it flickered to life, showing an empty room from the desks view. Distant singing could be heard from the bathroom.

"Is-Is that Rihanna?" Wilson cackled, seeming to enjoy this experience.

I watched as Clint silently added to the list ' **sings in the shower** '.

"I no longer appreciate his music taste." Stark scowled, corner of his lip twitching up despite his disapproving tone. Steve looked like he wanted to crawl back into the ice. Barnes looked oddly gleeful, silently mouthing along with the words.

"He is quite a good singer." Bruce commented, unable to contain his smile.

They heard the squeaky turn of a particularly bad shower handle and the metal on mental screeching slide of a shower curtain before the screen blacked out.

" **Boss** ," Karen said dryly. " **Please put on some clothes**."

They heard Peter give a quiet _'fuck'_ in response, rustling heard in the background as a closet was opened.

_"Peter!"_ A voice shouted elsewhere, surprising the others. "You in there? I brought that Star Wars set you wanted to start-"

_"Hold on a minute, Ned!"_

"Best friend's back with even more legos." Wilson laughed softly. "They are such nerds."

"Like you aren't, Wilson?"

"Shut it, Barnes."

_"Karen!"_ Peter hissed. _"Why didn't you tell me Ned was coming over?"_

**"I did, Boss. You told me to, and I quote, _'Piss off, please, I'm trying to find a loophole in this assignment that's due at midnight.'"_**

_"...Oh. I'm sorry."_

**"I know how you are, Boss. It's alright."**

A door opened, Ned speaking fast. _"Dude, were you just talking to Karen? Does she need any more updates or are you good for now? Hi, Karen!"_

_"_ **Hello, Ned."**

_"She's so cool."_ Ned gushed.

_"She is."_ Peter laughed softly, voice getting louder as he walks closer to the desk. _"So, um, was this a scheduled meet that I forgot about like an asshole again or why are you here, Ned?"_

_"Peter?"_ Ned no longer sounded excited, almost careful. _"You do know what day it is, right?"_

_"Yeah, yeah, it's, um- where's my phone-"_ A soft click was heard, then a soft thump, like he had dropped something he was holding onto the carpet.

_"Fuck, I shouldn't have brought it up, Peter, man, I'm so sorry-"_ Ned was rambling. The screen turned on, only showing the tops of their heads below the desk, both kneeled on the ground. Clint silently added to the list **'brown hair'**.

"What happened? What is today?" Stark demanded, getting no response.

_"I can't believe I forgot about Ben."_ Peter let out soft hiccups, and the Avengers quickly came to the realization that he was crying. _"I've never forgotten. I'm such a bad nephew, I can't believe-"_

_"Peter, none of this is your fault."_ Ned was heard stating firmly. _"Not when it happened, and certainly not now. It is not your fault for forgetting, you love him just the same."_

_"But I-I forgot!"_ Peter cried, disappearing completely from view as he curled in on himself, breathing heavy. _"How could I have forgotten such an important day, Ned?"_

_"It's alright, Peter. You're okay, he would have been so proud of you."_

"Boss," FRIDAY interrupted. "An unknown source that I cannot trace has sent me a link to a news article."

"Put in on screen, top corner."

"Affirmative."

The cover of a news article from 2010 popped on the screen, the bold words of **FAMILY MEMBER KILLED IN FRONT OF YOUNG BOY** immediately catching their attention. Most parts were blurred out, such as names and pictures and witness reports, but the gist was there.

"That...must be Ben." Stark muttered, eyes quickly scanning the article.

"Look at the date." Muttered Barnes, eyes fixated on the title. It was today.

"Was- was he the boy?" Bruce asked softly, expecting no real answer. "Was that Peter?"

"Seems so." Stark's expression was grim.

Peter was still sobbing off-screen, comforted by a panicking friend.

**"Boss is hyperventilating. I suggest he puts on the mask, Ned."** Karen spoke quietly.

The screen blacked out when Ned got up, much to the other's dismay. It returned a moment later when Ned sat down again, helping Peter put on the mask. The familiar sound of breathing exercises calmed both Ned and the Avengers.

"I'm glad Spiderman has good support to fall into when he gets upset." Wilson commented, eyes soft. "He's got to have seen some shit."

"We all have, Wilson. He's not special." Steve barked, eyes cold.

"Do not try that shit with me, Rogers." Wilson's stare was colder. "Do not diminish another's pain. You chose the life you led. It seems, to me, that Peter did not."

Steve looked away, jaw clenched.

_"I-I'm fine,"_ Peter gasped suddenly, ripping off the mask and tossing it back onto the desk, almost obscuring the camera. _"Fuck. I'm fine. I'm okay."_

_"It's okay to not be okay, Peter."_

_"Ned, please don't say that."_ Peter gave a wet laugh, and the screen blacked out again as he went to stand up, Ned presumably following. " _You know I hate bullshit like that. I'm fine, though."_

_"Yeah, yeah, I know."_ Ned chuckled. _"It makes you laugh, though."_

_"Yeah, you're right."_ Peter went quiet for a moment, before asking tentatively. _"You...you think he'd be proud of me?"_

_"I know he would. I'm proud too, you know."_

_"I know, man."_

_"So...you good for legos?"_

_"Always, Ned. Always."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly wanted to make this like a full-fledged lots of chapters story but I dont know what the fuck to put in it lmao like I don't want to do Peter's POV n IDK what to fill in with the avengers??????? so like?????? 
> 
> If you want you can comment stuff the Avengers should watch Peter doing!!!! because I dont know!!!! and also I literally could not find a date for Ben's death so we're sticking w 2010 (according to Wikipedia) n thats it lmao my bad
> 
> its 3:49am I rather not go over this again so if there is spelling errors I am apologize good night


	5. Bug in a School (Arachnid!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes to school, as normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly if y'all are okay with it most of these chapters are just gonna be Peter just living his life - filler chapters, basically. If that's boring for you, I'll name a chapter at one point (once i finish all of this) that'll basically lead to the end. so, until then, you're stuck w me :]

"Alright, motherfuckers." Fury slammed his fist against the steel table, cleverly hiding the shock of pain going through him. Bad idea. "Where is the Spider?"

"About that..." Stark started.

"We're still on it, Director." Steve stated, glancing around the room at his teammates briefly, nodding his head. "I'd say we've made some good progress, yes?"

"My agents could have done this weeks ago!" Fury hissed, glaring with the ferocity of two eyes despite only having one. "What is taking so goddamn long?" He turned towards Tony. "I would have expected better from you, Stark."

Tony bristled, sunglasses hiding his heated glare. "We've got it covered. Give us a few more weeks, a month at most."

"A month." Fury shook his head, sighing simply. "I'll give you one more week."

"Director-"

"Questions?" He cut Stark off, tilting his head slightly. Nobody said anything, they knew it was rhetorical. "Good." He glared around the room a final time before ending with Tony. "Get back to work."

A minute passed after Director Fury left the room, Tony scanning the room to make sure he didn't place any bugs. After the coast was clear, Clint let out a loud sign, kicking his feet down from the tabletop. "It's 6 in the fuckin' morning, what the hell are we supposed to do? Watch his empty room while he's off somewhere as a civilian?"

"I've tracked his sightings." Natasha said in response, nodding her head slightly. "He first gets sighted in the day at 3 in the afternoon, 5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, normally goes home around 10, if not earlier. On the weekends, Spiderman is normally flexible, going out from anywhere between 7 in the morning through noon. Goes home at 3...in the morning."

She let that information sit, studying everyone's reactions. Clint decided the best action to take was to give her a fist bump, which she reciprocated slyly.

"FRIDAY, what's today?" Stark asked the ceiling.

"Wednesday, Boss."

Rogers fixated his stare across everyone in the room. "Well, team? There's a chance he brings his suit with him everywhere. Might learn some new things."

"Better get on it, then!"

The Avengers all immediately went for the door at once, everybody being nice and awkwardly standing off to let another person past, Natasha instantly just barging through. Sam and Bucky got stuck in the door-frame after everybody else was out, always competing with the other. You could hear them arguing as the rest of the team as everyone else (excluding Stark, who went to make coffee) headed for the common room, FRIDAY turning the TV on without prompting.

They immediately met the sight of a panicking Peter, suit hanging low enough from the desk from where it was haphazardly thrown onto from the night before that they could only see his legs, rushing back and forth from the bathroom to his closet.

_"Gods, I can't believe I overslept, how could I do that?"_ He was muttering, rushing to the desk, papers falling from his hands and onto the carpet. _"Fuck!"_

**"Do not fret, Boss. You have approximately 11 minutes to reach the first subway."**

_"Karen, it's 3 miles away!"_

**"Run."**

Tony laughs softly at that when he walks into the room, steaming mug in hand. It read 'Best Dad-Venger Evr', the last _e_ smudged by oil.

The vigilante could only sign in exasperation before grabbing the suit and stuffing it into his backpack, the screen taking on a dark hue. _"Karen, I'm gonna go swinging. ETA?"_

**"8 minutes."**

_"Good enough."_

**"Don't forget your umbrella, Boss."**

A door slammed shut, feet pounding down the stairs in a hurry. _"No time! Gotta go!"_

**"It could have easily taken not even 4 seconds-"**

_"Peter?"_ A different voice asked, a smile clear in the woman's voice. _"You late again? You know you can't miss any more school."_ A pause. _"Are you gonna make it to the subway, sweetie?"_

_"I run fast, May, you know that. Gotta leave now, though-"_

_"Wait!"_ A quiet ding. _"Try this toast I made! It's not as black as last time, right? Don't you like your toast crispy, Peter?"_

_"Oh, u-uh-"_ Natasha could hear the disgust clear as day, biting her lip. _"Sure, May, um-"_ A very loud _crunch_ echoed through the speakers, and they could hear Peter trying not to gag. _"It's good! I love it, May, but I have to go!"_

_"You sure you don't want to stay for breakfast just a little bit longer? I can drive and write a note, you know."_

_"It's alright, May,"_ His tone softened. _"I don't want you to be late to work again. I've heard those warning calls."_

_"Oh, Peter..."_ The woman's words got quieter, almost embarrassed.

Soft footsteps reached through before the distinct sound of clothes brushing together reached their ears. _"I love you May, you know that, right?"_

May's voice sounded choked. _"I know, sweetie. You're my boy."_

_"You know he would be proud of you, and what you've done for me."_

A cut-off sob came through, muffled by laughter. _"I know he would, dear."_ A soft step back. _"Hurry before you miss the subway, sweets. I won't be home until midnight, I picked up the night shift again."_

A soft sigh from Peter, and the mumbled exchanges of _'I love yous'_ came through again, followed by the sound of a door shutting quietly.

_"Hey, Karen?"_ Soft rain could be heard hitting the cement as Peter walked, grass crunching distinctly under his shoes.

**"Yes, Boss?"**

_"Are there any job offers nearby that I qualify for?"_

**"...I will start searching, Boss. I will tell you on your afternoon patrol."**

_"Thank you, Karen."_ A zipper was unzipped loudly, a hand visible for just a moment before darkness enveloped the screen once again. Bruce assumes he took the mask.

The sounds of soft _thwips_ met the Avenger's ears not a moment later.

* * *

**"Boss, you are quite in the open-"**

_"It's alright, Karen!"_ Huffed out the vigilante, clearly struggling with getting the wet mask off. _"Gods, it stinks back here. Why do people leave their trash out in the open like this? There's a dumpster right there!"_

**"I do not know, Boss."**

_"It was rhetorical, babe."_

**"I know."**

A bell rang loudly not too far off.

_"Shit, what do I have today?"_

**"AP Chemistry. You have a substitute today."**

" _Oh, that's good. Maybe'll they let the tardy pass."_ Loud, squeaky footsteps met their ears as Peter entered a set of doors, the chattering of other students muffled by the wet bag. _"Alright, you still hooked to my phone, Karen?"_

**"Yes, Boss. I will send an alert if anyone approaches your locker."**

_"Nice."_ A locker opened before abruptly slamming shut, the sound loud, reverberating in the Avenger's ears. Bucky winced.

_"Watch it, Penis."_ A new voice snarled, awfully close.

_"You ran into me, Flash! Are you that blind that you can't see me standing here? Better get your eyes checked."_

Another loud slam, this time the distinct sound of a skull bouncing off metal. _"Watch your fucking mouth, **-BEEP-** , or you won't make it to your class."_

"Did- Did she just censor something? Was that what I just heard?" Wilson laughed, soft.

"Might've been a name. Too bad." Stark murmured, attentive as always.

"Are we not going to mention that Spiderman apparently gets bullied?" T'Challa brought up, feeling unnerved. "Why doesn't he retaliate?"

"I'm guessing he doesn't want to blow his cover." Natasha offered. "If Karen's doing so much to prevent us from finding out - and _he designed_ her - then I'm wondering just how much he personally has to take in his civilian form."

"Jesus, I'll never be able to do that." Tony huffed out a laugh, shaking his head.

"We know, Tony." Clint drawled, a cheeky smile adorning his features. "You literally announced your identity on National News. I'd be more worried if you didn't sue the hell out of this guy."

"Touché, Barton. Touché."

Apparently, the two were still arguing over who ran into who when they were having this enlightening conversation. They were suddenly met with the low voice of _'Flash-'_ before the hurrying sound of footsteps running away were heard, getting quieter.

_"Calm your bitch, Penis! She bites!"_ The guy yelled, way far away, and the _'bitch'_ snickered, quiet.

_"...Thanks, MJ."_ Peter's choked voice came back.

_"No problem, dweeb. Here, for your nose."_ A rustle, hands brushing.

_"Awe, shit, it's bleeding? U-Um, thanks, man."_

_"Only_ you _would have the nerve to call MJ 'man', man."_ The familiar voice of Ned found them once again, chuckling.

_"Hey, man, don't diss me like this, man."_

_"Guys."_ MJ's clear voice cut Ned off before he could even start. _"Don't. This would never end. Let's just get to class before we're late."_

The same bell rang, echoing.

_"Or, not, I guess."_

_"I'll meet you there, guys."_ Peter sniffed, opening his locker again and shoving his backpack inside, grabbing whatever and closing it again (this time on his own accord), the screen turning completely black. _"I need to clean this up. Flash must be having a bad day."_

"I still can't believe someone named their kid Flash." Bruce commented, shaking his head.

"It's probably a nickname."

_"Don't worry, I'll defend your honor by making him answer the hardest questions in Decathlon tomorrow, and then proceed to stare at him making him uncomfortable as he gets them wrong each time."_ MJ responded.

_"You already do that, though."_

_"This time it'll be in your honor, though."_

_"Fair enough."_

_"Get to class, you three!"_ A voice shouted down the hallway, and the sound of squeaky shoes running made them all laugh, Avengers included.

_"Ned, why are you following me to the bathroom?"_ Peter suddenly asks, squeaks following his words, getting quieter as they went further down the hallway.

_"I'm gonna help you clean the blood, man. Look, it's soaking into your shirt already."_

_"...oh. May won't like that."_

_"I know, bro. Plus, you'll most likely get distracted by some bug and miss the whole class again."_

_"Aw, c'mon, man."_ Came the softest reply.

A door opened and shut in the distance. Only the distant buzz of the school's electrical system could be heard through the transmitter.

"I guess we're here all day." Steve mumbled, looking bummed at the lack of action.

"I guess so. Might as well do my job." Stark stood up, yawning and cracking his back loudly, mumbling. "FRIDAY, call me here if anything really happens, alright?"

"Got it, Boss."

"You're the best." He mumbled again, rubbing his eyes and almost dropping his mug, shuffling towards the elevator. "I'll be in my lab." Tony called over his shoulder, giving a small wave, not bothering to turn around.

"Guess I'll hit the gym." Steve didn't look particularly happy about it, sighing softly, getting up like a stereotypical old man and heading for the stairs.

"I'm going back to sleep, assholes. Don't call me." Clint waved briefly before basically sprinting down the hallway, like an idiot.

Bruce got up to follow Tony to the labs, presumably.

T'Challa decided to raid the fridge. Shuri won't judge him here.

(Shuri hacked FRIDAY awhile ago, she's definitely judging)

"Nat, what are you gonna do?" Sam asks, scrolling through his phone on the couch.

"I'm not sure." She mused softly. "Might kill a man. Might bake something. Any ideas?"

Sam points towards Bucky without looking up.

Natasha isn't sure whether or not Wilson wants her to kill Barnes or to bake with him. Possibly both.

"Screw you, Wilson."

Guess it was the former, then.

She picked at her nails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keep giving ideas for what the avengers should watch peter do!!!


	6. The Bug Fights Back (Arachnid!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Education? Never heard of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT note at end.
> 
> sorry it's kinda rushed.
> 
> Thank You.

"Boss," FRIDAY interrupted Tony's work, and he briefly hesitated to mute her. "Spiderman's suit is active."

" _Active?_ What the hell do you mean active, it's barely noon." Tony rushed to pull on his MIT sweater to cover his greasy and oil-stained tank top, quickly going for the elevator. "He should still be in school."

"The news are reporting an attack at a bank not too far from the Tower. The camera started moving two minutes later; Barnes, Romanov, Doctor Banner, and the Captain are already watching. I suggest you move quickly."

"Well I suggest you get this elevator moving, darling, and quickly." Was his only response.

* * *

"Glad you could finally make it." Rogers snarked when Tony walked into the common room. "FRIDAY just alerted us a minute ago that Peter has taken his bag and left the building. At least we know where his priorities are, and it's certainly not in his education."

"Shut the hell up, Steve." Sam spoke before Stark could, glaring at the Captain, who seemed not to know how to respond to such a harsh expression. "You don't know shit about him."

Before Rogers could respond, Bucky gently nudged his arm, giving him a certain look. The soldier only sighed, then, clenching his jaw at the screen.

FRIDAY turned the volume up wordlessly, letting them all hear Peter's harsh breathing as darkness turned to light and he changed into his suit quickly. _"Karen, where's-"_ He started, adjusting his mask as he jumps and scales a building with ease.

**"Madison Avenue, East of your current location."** She responded easily.

Even when he knew he was safe doing this, Bruce still felt his stomach drop when Spiderman took the running leap off the building in the right direction. The camera inched closer and closer to the ground by the millisecond before abruptly pulling off right where his feet should've skimmed the ground, flying upwards, the sky turning downwards as he flipped.

"Show-off." Natasha smiled.

"I'm getting sick just looking at it." Tony muttered, arm slung over his abdomen.

It didn't take too long for Spiderman to reach his destination, First Republic Bank, in the Columbus Circle on 8th Avenue. The Avengers watched as Spiderman crouched on a nearby rooftop, watching the scene before him.

"Have the police not gotten there yet?" Steve asked, eyebrows furrowed. "How did he know something was happening there?"

"Karen must be connected to their scanners and gotten the call to Spiderman before them." Bruce shrugged, sipping at his tea. "Not too hard."

An alarm rang louder and louder as Peter slowly crept closer to the scene. The distant echo of police sirens filled their ears.

"Now what does he plan on doing?" Tony scoffed. "He should leave this up to the professionals."

"The police are a corrupt force, and tend not to care about the people." Natasha listed wordlessly, glancing at the screen but otherwise reading her book. "And the Avengers apparently only deal with world-threatening disasters, nothing less."

"You can't call the police a corrupt force." Steve argued, heated. "They are the backbone of this country. They risk their lives to protect our people. Sure, there might be one or two that are bad, but every job has it's bad apples. It can't be helped."

"Let me school you, Rogers." Natasha's tone held no room for argument, gently setting her book down. "Firstly, the police were first created to go after run-away slaves and bring them back to their masters. They were created during a corrupt system of oppression and slavery. As time went on, sure, they stopped the bad guys. They helped better the good. But no where does it say they are supposed to protect the people. The law has never said that. It is not their job. They are not suppose to care."

"Now, hold on-"

"Secondly," She cut him off, turning to look at him. "You cannot have 'bad apples' in this kind of work. That's like saying that a pilot can purposely crash a plane, and you can't hold them accountable for it, because that's just how it is - but it's not, Rogers. I get you grew up in that sort of society, and you should have never had to, and we should never be where we are, but here it is, and we're living in it. You say they are the backbone of the country? You seriously think that racists and rapists and murderers are what define America?"

"Not all cops are bad!" Steve insisted.

"You're correct." Natasha spoke simply. "But the system itself is corrupt. It lets the ones who _are_ bad get away with murder. They go through enough training to know how to properly detain someone, and they should never pull out a gun unless it is _dire_ , and that's only if. Not all cops are bad, but if the good one's simply let the bad one's do whatever, and not even attempt to stop it? They are apart of the problem. They are apart of the corrupt system who thinks they that can be judge, jury, and executioner. There have been enough evidence to put away multiple white cops and the only reason some of them are being questioned is because we saw the evidence and are demanding for their head. That is simply it. Racism has been a deeply rooted issue in this society, and the government has done nothing to help, nothing to put away those 'bad apples', so if you want to continue saying that a corrupt force does no wrong and that they are the perfection of America then you, Captain, are a part of the problem."

"Riots are not the answer. You cannot fight violence with violence." Steve was losing steam.

"Then what the hell do we do?" Natasha laughed, emotionless and borderline insane. "There have been peaceful protests. Have you not seen the videos of undercover cops inciting the violence?"

"They would never do that-!"

"That is your opinion, and these are my facts." She declared. "They have signals to tell other cops not to arrest them while they are breaking windows and setting buildings on fire. There have been videos of them talking to peaceful protesters, trying to get them to attack a cop, or to push at some cop car. There have been videos of reporters being arrested for simply reporting on what is happening. Did you know that that is illegal? They are silencing the news. They did nothing wrong."

"Well they must have been doing something-"

"It was on live-fucking-television, Rogers!" She hissed. "Thousands of videos of people peacefully protesting the death of their brother before someone white comes and fucks shit up." Steve opened his mouth to retort to that, but she easily cut him off. "I am not saying all white people are racist and bad. You KNOW that is not the case. If you get offended by the facts of racism then you are a part of the problem and, frankly, you have no right to hold an opinion. People have died. People are dying. People have suffered, and people are suffering. Protesters are getting tear-gassed. I have seen videos of white people standing in between the cops and the black protesters and the cops doing NOTHING, because this is all about race and oppression and silence."

Steve didn't know how to respond, and so instead he got up and left the room. Normally, Bucky would have followed, but he himself agreed with Natasha.

"Give him a break." Bruce says, understanding where he's coming from and knowing that his ideas are being attacked - it is not an excuse, however. "He'll need some time to think."

"There is simply no time, Bruce."

It didn't matter who said it. It got the point across.

A gunshot rang out.

"Oh my god, I forgot about Peter."

Tony watched worriedly as Spiderman had crept through an open ventilation system and silently stepped along the many bodies along the floor. He checked each and every one of them to make sure they were breathing, and sighed, realizing they were only knocked out.

_"Everybody listen up,"_ A man's voice rang out, dark and threatening, distant and echoed. _"I won't warn you again. You move one fucking inch and I'll blow your goddamn head off, you hear me?"_ A child wailed.

Spiderman kept going, tracing the winding hallways until finally he was in the same room. The camera showed over a dozen people crouched by the walls, cowering in fear. A dozen more hid behind the desks, guarded by multiple figures with guns.

_"Hurry the hell up, will you?"_ A different voice barked at a lady putting in codes, and she glared at him, standing down only when he pointed his shotgun at her head. _"Don't try that with me, prissy. You won't get far."_

_"Quit talking, you fool."_ The first voice demanded, obviously the head honcho with his glamorous armor and gun. _"The NYPD are almost here."_

_"Don't you think we know that?"_ A feminine voice snarled, jamming the end of her gun into a civilian's back. The civilian was holding a crying child before being abruptly knocked forward, in tears.

"What is he doing?" Tony hissed, more to himself. "Why is he just standing there?"

"Some people like to find the best action to take before rushing headfirst, Stark." Natasha smiled.

"Quiet, you."

_"Quiet, you!"_ The main guy stomped forward and grabbed the little kid by his forearm, easily lifting him into the air. The mother cried out on the floor as the boy screamed and kicked.

_"You better shut that brat up before I do it myself."_ The woman cocked her pistol, smiling as she pretended to aim at the kid.

Suddenly, a web shot out, covering the nozzle and ripping it from the woman's grasp. She didn't even have time to gasp before the gun came flying back, hitting her directly in the forehead, knocking her out. The guy dropped the kid in surprise.

Spiderman had climbed onto the high ceiling slowly as to not draw attention, not even the civilians had noticed. Right as the woman fell down against the wall, eight other guns were pointed at him, and Spiderman?

He only laughed.

_"C'mon, guys,"_ Peter said, a light air to his tone as he fell to the floor, immediately knocking two guys out of commission with one hit. _"Would you really beat up a guy with glasses?"_

_"You're not wearing glasses-"_ A goon started to say before he was abruptly webbed to the wall, gun sliding across the room.

_"Figure of speech, I guess."_ Spiderman merely shrugged as suddenly bullets were flying at him. He made quick work of immediately taking the guns out, dodging smoothly from danger without even looking.

"I literally watched him trip on nothing last week." Sam spoke, flabbergasted. "How is this nerd and Spiderman the same person?"

In response to a knife being drawn, Spiderman joked. _"You wouldn't bring a knife to a gun fight, would you?"_ As the villain lunged, another gunshot fired from behind, and they heard him wince as he dodged the bullet but not the knife. The blade sunk deep into his forearm when he tried to block, and Peter hissed as he twisted his arm hard and flipped the guy, immediately knocking him out.

_"If I bleed on it, do I get to keep it?"_ He pulled the knife out, hissing softly as fresh blood oozed down his suit, then he whined. _"Oh, man, I just fixed this."_

_"Shut up."_ A gun cocked, and Spiderman whirled around, obviously expecting another bullet for him but instead being greeted with the head honcho wrestling with the screaming kid, a gun pointed to the boy's head. _"Just. Shut up. God!"_ Everyone else was knocked out cold, guns webbed to the floor and walls.

_"I take it you're not religious."_ Even as he said this Spiderman held his hands up, feigning submission.

_"How the hell are you here?"_ The guy instead responded, snarling as the kid continued to squirm. _"I had reports of you not being out at this time. You're never out at this time."_

_"Surprise, there's more of me."_ He shrugged. _"Can you let the kid go, by the way? You want me."_

The gun only got closer, and Spiderman took a step back, hands still out. _"Okay, okay. What do you want?"_

_"Get the fucking cops out of here."_ The guy demanded.

_"How am I suppose to do that?"_ Peter argued. _"They won't listen to me. They can barely tolerate me."_

The gun cocked, and Spiderman sighed loudly. _"Jesus, fine! Just don't hurt him."_

_"Who says I have to listen to you?"_ The leader snarled.

_"Well, some basic human decency can go a long way-"_ Suddenly his hand jerked and the kid was jerked forward towards him. Spiderman wasted no time in twisting around, shielding the boy from the guy, checking over him quickly. A gunshot echoed, and he winced. _"-such as not robbing banks."_

_"Stay behind me, alright? Hide when you can."_ Despite the tears the boy nodded, crouching low, trembling like a leaf. The camera ducked as Spiderman dodged the next bullet, turning around and grinning at the gun. _"Alright, where were we?"_

_"Kill him."_ The leader said instead, and another man walked out from behind the counter that they hadn't noticed, holding a large pulsing gun.

_"That looks very fancy."_ Spiderman remarked, taking a quiet step forward, positioning himself. _"What does it do, shoot bubbles?"_

The man merely smiled and aimed, a bright purple light going directly for the camera.

The civilians against the wall screamed as Peter ducked, the beam of light cutting a line through the glass. Several shouts erupted from outside - the police were here.

_"You shouldn't have played hero, boy!"_ The leader yelled over the noise, going to walk out, probably assuming the vigilante was indeed distracted. Instead, as Spiderman kicked open the doors leading to the building and shouted for everyone to _run_ , he managed to web one of the guy's feet to the ground, preventing his escape for just the moment.

The man with the purple laser gun fired again, narrowly missing the mother of the boy as she ducked with her kid, holding onto him tightly.

_"Everybody leave! Go!"_ They heard Spiderman yell, charging forward and jumping over the next purple laser. His foot connected with the guy's head and he was out cold, the laser firing another shot and taking out the entirety of the left wall.

Spiderman chest was heaving, and the camera suddenly turned left, as if remembering something, but there was noone left in the bank.

The leader had escaped.

* * *

**LOCAL VIGILANTE DESTROYS BANK** , the morning headline's read the next day. Peter had returned back to class, having missed the entirety of lunch and only a bit of of AP Physics. The camera once again descended into darkness.

"The kid literally got shot and stabbed. I'm also pretty sure he got nicked with whatever that purple thing was. Why is he going back?" Tony had nearly yelled, hand waving, as if he was commenting on the stupid decision of a movie character.

"Stark," Bruce's tone was slightly amused. "Aren't you worried about the gun itself? It decimated almost the entire bank."

"I'm sure it's nothing, Brucie." Was the only response he got, and Natasha shook her head fondly at his worry over Peter.

Peter, himself, didn't know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took awhile, I got kinda stuck at the whole 'political' part. Just needed to show some awareness. Of course, there is more information, but I think I had done enough already.
> 
> If you have Instagram, please check out @jack_hack101 and look at the latest post. I'm drawing people whatever they want if they send me a screenshot of the receipt for donating AT LEAST 5$ to any credible BLM site. I have multiple links for bail funds, black owned organizations damaged by *cough* White TM protesters/undercover cops, and memorial funds for victims either killed both before and during the protests. If you want to donate to something specific, I can defiantly find a link for you. The post itself holds more information and examples of my art - feel free to message me for more details if you're unsure.
> 
> So far I/we have raised over 200$ from people getting drawings from me and them donating. I'm very proud of this, for it is the very least I can do to help the movement, other then signing forms and messaging councils (I am a white minor). 
> 
> Please do anything you can do to help the movement. If you are white and attending a protest, listen to the ones who have to live through this bullshit, for they most likely know more then you do. 
> 
> Be their shields, not their swords.


	7. Ramblings of a Bug (Arachnid!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took me so long to update! literally no motivation. anyways I'm not smart like at all so deal with some random words when peter talks about smart stuff because I don't understand a single fuckin thing

2 am.

Tony Stark was once again up at 2 am.

It's not like he didn't know why. Nightmares from a certain wormhole, an abusive father, add a little PTSD from Afghanistan- it was really no secret.

Stark didn't have anything else better to do, really. He was, for once, caught up on all his projects and too busy focusing on Spiderman to start anymore else.

Specifically, his identity.

So it was really no wonder he checked to see if the tracker was active.

So there he was, now 2:04 am, watching Spiderman, the ever growing popular vigilante of New York City, Queens, struggle to eat a hotdog on a rooftop without spilling mustard and relish on himself.

**"I do advise you to at least go back for a napkin."** The monotone voice startled him each time.

Peter snorted, the sound choppy through the high winds. _"I don't want to bother the man again, he's seen enough trouble for a Wednesday."_

**"It's Thursday."**

Tony could feel the eye roll even from here.

**"It's a school night, Peter."** The tone was gentler.

A red clad hand aimlessly waved through the air, almost dropping the bun in the process. _"I know, I know. I just need to figure out what that weapon was at the bank. I've never seen it before."_

**"Some articles I've found on the web shows pictures of what may be what you're looking for. Shall I show you the pictures?"**

Spiderman nodded, the rest of the hotdog disappearing quickly as he stood up, pulling his mask back down. _"Yes, please."_ A moment of silence as Stark assumed he's examining them. _"What do sources say?"_

**"These artifacts only appeared after the alien invasion in places that were attacked. There are multiple reports of criminals finding these weapons and either selling them or, as you saw yesterday, robbing places. The technology is nothing like I've seen before."** Her Russian lilt was almost soothing despite the loud wind rushing through his ears.

_"Are you saying it's..._ alien _to you?"_

**"Boss, I think it's time to head home."**

Peter laughs, loud and refreshingly sweet, into the cold New York air. Tony could barely believe his ears, how could someone that's even through what he has still be able to laugh like that? Been through so much pain?

A weight settled next to him and Stark blinked, glancing at Steve. He hadn't even noticed him come in.

They sat there for awhile, watching Spiderman swing through the lit streets, only once stopping to help an elderly homeless woman cross the street and Spiderman give her his last bottle of water, promising her _I'll come back same time tomorrow with more, don't you worry, ma'am_. It was only when he finally crawled back through his window, shed his suit, ( _barely_ a suit) tend to his wounds, and fall asleep did Steve speak.

"Is what Natasha said true?" The captain mumbled softly, watching the white wall speckled with gold glitter and soot the suit faced. Tony assumed it was from failed experiments.

Tony knew what he was talking about. "About what?"

Rogers looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face. "About the police. Are they really..." He struggled for words. "...really like she said?"

He settled back into the couch with a sigh, expecting a long, difficult conversation. "Um. Sorta."

Steve looked troubled. "Is there a way for me to find out on my own?"

Stark blinked. "Um. Yeah? Looking into the media is a good start, and not just the top layer by those popular shits, look deeper into the hash tags."

He sighed like he expected that, nodding once and looking at the ceiling. "Right. Uh, Friday?"

**"Yes, Captain?"**

"Can you help me with that? Looking into the accurate posts?" 

**"Of course, Captain."** She sounded pleased.

Stark's lip twitched in amusement, imagining the endless questions Friday would have to deal with, and a sense of pride bloomed in his chest. He patted Roger's shoulder, receiving a shy, sheepish smile in return, got up and left the room.

Maybe Tony Stark will actually try to sleep for once.

-

6 pm.

It was exactly 6 pm on a Thursday when Dr. Bruce Banner decided to check the tracker. He was the only one in the room, everyone else too busy with their own lives at the moment, the sun slowly settling behind the low buildings as winter approached.

The tracker was active, not that he was surprised. Natasha was pretty confident of Spiderman's schedule, and as the team watched the vigilante, he never strayed far from it.

What surprised him, when he turned the TV on, was what the man was talking to himself about- or to Karen, he suppose.

_"-it's a really good book, Karen! I absolutely love his theories on gamma radiation, I read it like, at least once a year, ever since I was six-"_ Bruce almost dropped his tea in shock, elbows perched on his knees as he leaned forward to get closer to the screen, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was he talking about him? Not many scientists have done studies on gamma radiation, yet...

**"And that is very nice, Peter, I'll be sure to read it sometime."** The AI mused.

_"You better! I don't have anyone to talk about it to."_ The vigilante chuckled as he swung over a pier, waving to a group of young teens as he passed by. He left behind the shocked gasps and hollers after him and flipped onto an abandoned building, taking a deep, refreshing breath. _"Dr. Banner is seriously, like, my absolute hero. Like, I mean Hulk is cool too, but I haven't actually met him, so I can't really say- well, I haven't met Dr. Banner yet either- not like I ever will, I mean, why would he want to meet some random kid from Queens that swings in a bright red suit from literal spider webs, right? Noone would bother-"_

**"Peter,"** Karen gently reminded. **"Do not undersell yourself. I'm sure Dr. Banner would love to have someone as smart as you around to hear his theories. According to my research on quite a few articles, no one really truly understands what he's talking about."**

_"Really?"_ Spiderman didn't sound like he believed it, taking a seat on the edge of the building, the steep sight making Bruce sick. _"I'm sure they're just missing something small, right? Like, it was a little difficult to figure out at first, but after my second read it became like, so obvious, y'know? It just seems like logic to me."_

**"Still, Boss. You are smart. Do not forget that."**

_"Yeah, alright, Karen."_ The vigilante laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the cars below. _"I just wish I could meet him. I have so many questions! Like, how did he know to reverse that specific sort of energy when conducting-"_

"Bruce?" Banner almost dropped his tea again, startled, looking over and spotting Clint hanging from the vents. "You good, man?"

Bruce sighed soft, leaning back into the couch, letting Peter's rambling wash over him, surprisingly nice. "Yes, I'm fine, Clint."

Barton pointed at the TV, dropping from the ceiling and immediately heading for the fridge. "Something happen with the kid?"

"Uh, sorta." Bruce shook his head. "He- he's read my books."

"Ah, so he's a nerd, too!" Clint chuckled softly as he grabbed a pear. "What's so wrong about that?"

"I- I think he understands it. Like, _actually_ understands it." 

Clint looked back at him while taking a bite, noticing his expressing looked absolutely dumbfounded. "Is- is that not normal? I thought Stark understood all your random science crap."

"Well yeah, but that's Tony-" Banner ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. "But even he sometimes doesn't fully understand what I talk about- Peter, he, he's asking _questions_ , he's asking actual, deep thoughtful questions on things I never even _thought_ about-"

"Oooh, Stark's got some competition then, doesn't he?" Sam walked in, stealing Clint's pear and taking a bite out of it before throwing it back, ignoring his annoyed look. "The kid a fan?"

Barton suddenly smiled wide. "The biggest." He pointed at the screen.

On the screen was a notebook in Spiderman's lap, the words **'QUES _T_ IoNs FoR Doc _T_ oR BRUcE BANNER'** at the top in deep blue ink, questions and formulas and equations and just _so_ many numbers filling the page, some even spilling into the margins where he began to write sideways. His writing was tiny and sloppy, some parts in code where he imagined only Peter could understand, other parts just completely filled with lines and diagrams. Peter flipped halfway through the notebook before settling on a half filled page, immediately starting to scribble something new down, quickly filling in the blank space.

"Oh, my god." Bruce whispered.

Sam shared an amused look with Clint, snorting. " _Definitely_ a fan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lemme just add a lil redemption for steve there, don't hate on him he's gonna try, he's just an old bastard n honestly I don't blame him for it but I do understand if you do


End file.
